At the sound of the gong both girls started to move towards the middle of the stage, Melissa was moving slowly and steadily but the look on her face betrayed how much effort it was costing her. Jacky was also moving slowly but in contrast to Melissa she was actually smiling and enjoying the opportunity that had come her way.

When they were perhaps three meters apart Melissa was the first one to act, she pushed off with her injured leg crossing half the distance between her and Jacky. With the next step Melissa closed the distance and Ike saw a heavy punch landing on Jacky’s shoulder. Seeing Jacky retreating to a distance twice as large as before, Ike couldn’t help but feel this was a stupid and cowardly move.

Even from Ike’s place amongst the public he could see that Melissa’s sudden attack had left her unbalanced and in quite a bit of pain after pushing her injured leg too far. If Jacky had just calmly taken the punch like those two boys had done, she probably would have won the match then and there.

With the large distance between them Jacky started to circle around Melissa looking for an opportunity to strike. However the distance between them was too large and Melissa easily managed to keep facing her. Jacky started to carefully move closer and closer to Melissa all the while trying to get to one of Melissa’s flanks.

The constant circling took minutes, and while keeping one eye on the match Ike’s mind had started to wonder. With which of the girls did he want to be teamed up with? Jacky wasn’t a good fighter and Ike thought she was a bit of a scaredy-cat perhaps even a coward. If he was teamed up with her Ike imagined he would have a nice and quiet live.

Melissa however seemed to be a fighter, not afraid of anything and seemed to be someone desiring to win most of all. Oh and without a doubt she would be stubborn. There was no way in Ike’s mind that her parents wouldn’t have first tried to persuade Melissa to take a dive before taking measures themselves. Teaming up with Melissa would without a doubt be troublesome, but perhaps also exciting and fun.

Rationally Ike preferred the nice and quiet, but deep within his hart there was a part of him rooting for Jacky to win this fight.

Five minutes had already passed in the fight and nothing much had happened, frustration could be seen on Jacky’s face. She was growing reckless, instead of continuing to carefully circle Melissa trying to find an opening she dove in. It wasn’t elegant it was just a right hook towards Melissa’s face, but it was highly effective. Melissa could only doge using her injured leg so Melissa blocked Jacky’s punch. Fist hit fist, both girls stumbled backwards. Jacky was the first to regain her balance and recklessly dove forward again, this time Melissa countered Jacky’s punch again but the arm she was using was lacking strength. Ike could see her falling down but at the last moment Melissa steadied before hitting the ground. However this had left Melissa totally open, Jacky immediately abused the situation fiercely punching Melissa. With obviously broken ribs Melissa hit the ground, Ike could see her trying to get up but she simply didn’t have enough strength left.

It was quiet in the coliseum now, some people hesitantly stated to clap while some others were booing. Most people were just quietly waiting, they understood that even if u were given a large advantage winning was winning. Outside the safety of the town walls winning was all that mattered if u wanted to live another day.

Master Whelks stood up and loudly said “The surprising winner of this match is Jacky. Since Jacky won she is awarded the first rank amongst the girls while Melissa is demoted to rank two. Please give Jacky an applause.”

Barely had those words left Master Whelks or “Noooo” echoed through the coliseum shouted by the now standing elder Deen. “This is unacceptable obviously Melissa is the better martial artist and she must be given the first rank. U can’t allow this blatant manipulation of the tournament. My grandson Dickey is the best boy magician u can’t allow him to be teamed up with this weak girl just because she unfairly won.”

“It’s a tradition I can’t just change the results. I’m sure Master Owen agrees with me on this.” Master Whelks hesitantly said, looking to Master Owen for support.

The crowd in the coliseum were now excitedly following this discussion. Some people had started to whisper but seeing Master Owen getting up, people quieted down. “Yes there has been manipulation of the tournament” Master Owen said “But as it is tradition the results will stand. However the ranking ceremonies are just a means to an end, to be used as a basis in teaming up magi and martial artist of similar strengths”

“Thank you Master Owen” Elder Deen said, “Since my grandson Dickey is the best magi u will undoubtedly see to it that he is teamed up with Melissa”.

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“As I said the best will be teamed up with the best” Master Owen said.

Ike was too furious to see through the meaning of Master Owen’s diplomatic words, instead he was angry. That Dickey and his Grandma were undoing all the effort Carla and Johan, Miss Babcock and probably also Master Reese had put into making sure he and Melissa would become a team. For a second he thought about launching an ice dart at the two of them but it wouldn’t accomplish anything. Not knowing what to do he noticed the three nurses healing Melissa who was still lying onstage.

Ike thought back, Miss Babcock had been absolutely convinced that summoning the Radiant fish of renewal would allow him to win. ‘I obviously can’t assault elder Deen or Dickey but perhaps a demonstration impossible to ignore could turn the tides’ Ike thought. Although he admitted to himself he was also curious about the fishes healing effects.

Fuelled by anger he summoned a sizeable radiant fish of renewal. The sphere of healing light the fish was emitting was so large it was easily covering more than a quarter of the coliseum. All the eyes in the coliseum started to look at him in amazement. Ike was occupied with getting his fish to Melissa’s side so he obviously didn’t notice. Nor did he notice Master Reese who leaned close to his ear, about to give him some suggestions.

The fish flew closer and closer to Melissa but he had a harder and harder time controlling it. The fish’s instincts were fighting back at his mental control. He wouldn’t be able to supress those instincts for much longer. Reaching the point where he should choose to either dismiss his summon or let the instincts run wild, he took a gamble.

Taking a mental step backwards, he let the instincts of the radiant fish of renewal take over. Ike wasn’t able to control his summon anymore but he still kept a watchful eye out for any suspicious behaviour, but the actions of the fish were even surprising him. It was actually starting to contract the sphere of healing light. While the sphere of healing light was getting smaller and smaller, the brightness of the light got stronger and stronger.

Barely two seconds had passed since the sphere of healing light started to contract and now it was the same size as Melissa’s body. The brightness was so intense it felt like he was staring into the sun but these changes had also increased the mental energy drain. It was like his mental energy was evaporating into nothingness, at this rate he could only keep his summon in his world for another twelve or so seconds.

Mere seconds were remaining before all his mental energy would be gone, he was preparing to dismiss his summon as a sudden lack of mental energy would injure him and could possibly even kill him. Suddenly the light disappeared, he could only see darkness now despite it being the middle of the day. He knew his fish was still there, he felt it hovering near Melissa’s body. As soon as that intense sphere of healing light had disappeared the large drain on his mental energy also stopped. Not wanting to take any further chances he immediately dismissed his summon.

Colour was slowly returning to the world around him, Ike could easily tell that he hadn’t been the only one affected by the sudden lack of light. Most of his attention however was focussed on Melissa. Seeing her jump up and try out complex movements using her arms and legs, Ike could easily tell that her injuries had been healed.

“Come along boy” Master Reese whispered in his ear, “Hurry up, else we will never be able to get out of here”.

He followed Master Reese, through the small door next to the large entrance of the coliseum, crossing the town square she led them into a large wooden house. Most people were too surprised to realise that the boy leaving with the two older woman had been the one responsible. Master Owen however wasn’t most people, besides recognizing the boy who had summoned that Radiant fish of renewal she had also recognized Master Reese.

The house the three of them currently were standing in was large and sparsely furnished, everything he saw looked functional. The only things which looked even remotely decorative were the various weapons hung on the wall, there were swords, maces, spears, halberds, single and double bladed axes.

Curious Ike asked “Whose house is this?”

“It’s Master Whelks house” Master Reese said, “Please sit down. It probably won’t take Master Owen long to round up all the people she thinks are involved. But Ike you really overdid it today. U attracted so much attention, it won’t be surprising to see many lords soon trying to make u into one of their loyal retainers.”

It didn’t sound as bad as Master Reese had made it sound, Ike thought. When suddenly Master Owen followed by the worried looking elder Deen and her grandson Dickey entered the house.